Food for Life Team in East Ayrshire Wins National Award

East Ayrshire Council recently celebrated winning an APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) award for a healthy eating initiative in a UK-wide competition which drew around 300 submissions in total.

The council’s onsite services team won the coveted prize in the Best Healthy Living Initiative category for its Food for Life programme in schools, fighting off stiff competition from 40 other entrants.

These awards are unique in local government because they are dedicated to those who provide frontline public services to communities.

Over 450 guests came together at Brunel’s Old Station in Bristol for the ceremony. Awards were presented by broadcaster Alex Lovell of BBC Points West.

Andrew Kennedy, acting head of facilities management at the council, said: "East Ayrshire is regarded globally as a leader in the development of sustainable food strategies for schools.

"The use of organic, locally sourced fresh and unprocessed food has contributed to reducing the average distance food travels by a third, thus reducing CO2 and carbon emissions."

Councillor Hugh Ross, spokesperson for lifelong learning, said: "Most importantly, our Food for Life strategy has provided delicious, fresh meals for schoolchildren and has in this way assisted in reducing childhood obesity by a third, over two years.

"Congratulations to the onsite services team on this outstanding achievement."

APSE chief executive Paul O’Brien said: "Our judging panels had a huge task in arriving at the winners, but they were overwhelmed by the dedication of frontline employees in continuing to deliver excellence in frontline services, despite the huge financial pressures which many councils face."

The finalists in the category were:
• East Ayrshire Council

• East Lothian Council

• East Riding of Yorkshire Council

• Gedling Borough Council

• Leicester City Council

• North Lanarkshire Council

• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

• South Ayrshire Council

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